"I worry that we might not be able to recover from this because all our greatest cities are on the oceans and water's edges, historically for commerce and transportation," Tyson told CNN's Fareed Zakaria.

"And as storms kick in, as water levels rise, they are the first to go."

Given the overwhelming evidence that human activity has a grave influence on the climate, Tyson argued that questioning its scientific basis is a waste of time.

He noted the problems that arise when members of the press and politicians "cherry pick" individual scientific studies that back specific positions while ignoring the larger scientific consensus.

"The day two politicians are arguing about whether science is true, it means nothing gets done. Nothing," said Tyson.

"It's the beginning of the end of an informed democracy, as I've said many times. What I'd rather happen is you recognise what is scientifically truth, then you have your political debate."

He also asserted that building policy based on the relatively few papers that downplay human involvement in climate change is "simply irresponsible."

While Tyson may well be correct in his assertion that climate change has already progressed to the point that destructive consequences are guaranteed, scientists aren't giving up the fight just yet.